NASA’s Orion crew capsule is currently on-target for its next unmanned test flight in 2018 as part of the next-generation Space Launch System (SLS). When astronauts are finally on-board the Orion, NASA wants to make sure they have the best control and information software possible, so the agency is currently running a series of Orion simulations on the ground to get this revolutionary crew display system up and running.

The first test run of Orion’s display systems took place early this month in the Rapid Prototyping Lab (RPL) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. That’s where engineers are designing the controls that astronauts will use to pilot the spacecraft. It’s vital that NASA understands how the display systems it’s developing for Orion work with ground control’s systems. This is more vital than ever for Orion, which is intended to carry humans far beyond Earth’s local neighborhood.

Orion’s controls will have to be optimized for astronauts to manage all aspects of the craft on a long-term mission. If Orion is eventually sent to Mars, as is NASA’s eventual goal, it will be too far away for the ground team to assist with managing the spacecraft in real time. That means a highly-efficient setup is necessary for Orion. The Space Shuttle had more than 2000 physical switches, buttons, and dials, but it was designed in the 1970s. With modern interface technology, NASA has managed to condense Orion’s control system down to three dynamic displays with custom software.

The test several weeks ago was aimed at simulating an “extreme failure” on the spacecraft and how that incident is relayed to ground control. There were two “astronauts” manning the controls of the imaginary Orion capsule, as well as a flight director and control team on the ground. In this scenario, Orion’s power systems have failed, leaving the crew in serious trouble without functional environmental controls. The team worked through how to troubleshoot various systems to get the spacecraft back up and running before any of the pretend astronauts could come to pretend harm.

NASA still has some time to get the on-board software just right. The first flight of Orion was in late 2014 when it successfully orbited the Earth. The next test flight in 2018 will see Orion make an unmanned trip all the way to the moon and back. This “Exploration Mission 1” will also be the first time Orion is launched by the SLS rocket. The first manned mission is currently slated for 2021 or 2022 when four astronauts will use to to orbit the moon. That will be the first time humans have ventured so far from Earth since the Apollo days.

The Orion Habitable volume is: 316 Cubic feet
With an Average round trip distance of 2*140,000,000 = 280,000,000 miles
And an estimated mission duration of at least 6+ months.
So we are seriously saying we are going to travel 500 times farther, and take 15 times as long to do it, and only use 50% more space?

This fundamentally fails to pass the smell test. You can’t put enough food for 3
people for 6 months in this space let alone reserves of; air, water, parts etc.

Orion could be the rocket ship astronauts will ride to dock with the much larger ship that can actually make it to Mars and back.

TGRS

Yeah, the only question why build such super sophisticated and expensive capsule to just get people from Earth to LEO if much cheaper alternatives can be build / exist from commercial providers.

I heard somewhere that it is to be able to handle re-entry from Mars orbits, but you can just install better heat shields on cheaper vehicles as well.

eonvee375

well im no expert but docking several modules can be a solution…

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Felix Gill

I thought this was just a command module… think bridge and escape pod in one. Not a living and working environment.

But i agree we are going back to the moon long before we try humans on Mars

Kobi

Mars is the long term plan but I don’t think NASA (Or SpaceX or Boeing with their current modules) thinks that the crew cabin alone in this iteration will do the job. Likely, these will dock with some habitation module for the trip. Or maybe this is just the first phase and they test loads of things for future versions?

I guess the hardware itself could be different on the actual spacecraft.

I was also thinking that the setup has no kind of ergonomics, but then again I’m not sure how ergonomics work in microgravity.

eonvee375

because bulky shit lasts longer, HDMI seems too sophisticated for the harsh space world ^^
(plus no out of factory screws)

mamouth

I’m not sure where you see VGA connectors on that picture.
Black cable and white connector is typical for DVI.

cpy

Why not colonize Venus? Much better planet for colonization but harder for resource extraction. But hey at least you can hold your breath there if you get in trouble.

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